JUST SAYIN’-Back in January, I wrote an article elucidating the impact of Proposition 45 on our statewide community (not given a number at that time). In light of the fact that there have been millions of dollars donated by the usual suspects [the insurance industry alone (including Kaiser, Blue Cross, WellPoint, and Blue Shield) has contributed more than $37 million] to confuse, distort, and outright law about the effects of this measure, if passed.
It is for these reasons that I feel compelled to revisit this subject.
The fact is that the Office of the State Insurance Commissioner (whether Democrat or Republican) has the power to enforce rules and regulations affecting house/condo/apartment/ business/auto insurance but not for health insurance. Thus, companies like Anthem Blue Cross (notorious for its determination to raise its rates while reducing coverage) can put into force unreasonable modifications on its policy holders, and can do this with impunity because the Insurance Commissioner presently does not have enforcement powers to curb such healthcare-coverage abuses.
It was Proposition 103, approved years ago, which created the elected position of Insurance Commissioner in the first place and gives that person authority over rate and other determinations by insurance companies but without the power of enforcement in the arena of health insurance.
The No on 45 commercials are making up lies (not offering facts) out of whole cloth. They make numerous spurious claims on several issues. Here are the facts:
- If passed, Prop 45 will not cause higher fees.
- There is no special Commission whose decision would or could be overruled by the Commissioner. There is simply no such Commission!! In fact, Covered California under the Nationwide Affordable Care Act is still and will continue to be the program from which many otherwise uninsured Californians can get their health insurance—often paying less for more coverage. By the way, new sign-ups will begin November 15, 2014, for those who need to apply for the first time or need to renew.
- The “special interests” that are mentioned by opponents are really organizations like Consumer Watchdog which are, in fact, looking after our true interests.
- There will be no arbitrary decision-making by one politician. We, the people, created the Insurance Commission with a quadrennially elected top administrator to oversee the healthcare needs of each Californian. This person, now Dave Jones, is up for re-election and (in my opinion) has been doing a phenomenal job. He has been diligently working, even before his election to this post, to keep the health insurance companies from making decisions which hurt the consumer. In addition, treatment decisions will still be in the hands of our respective physicians, not decided, as asserted, by some nebulous entity.
What Proposition 45 will do is to “require health insurance companies to justify their rate hikes before [italics added] they take effect.” This mandate does not exist now, so it is up to us to demand that these companies no longer be able to take advantage of us. Company decisions must no longer be only profit-driven but must also be motivated by how well they can care for, protect, and safeguard the interests of their insurees.
Reasonably speaking, then, we have no other choice than to VOTE YES ON 45.
Just sayin’.
(Rosemary Jenkins is a Democratic activist and chair of the Northeast Valley Green Alliance. Jenkins has written A Quick-and=Easy Reference to Correct Grammar and Composition, Leticia in Her Wedding Dress and Other Poems, and Vignettes for Understanding Literary and Related Concepts. She also writes for CityWatch.)
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CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 86
Pub: Oct 24, 2014
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